Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Lionel Messi will bring the curtain down on his glittering Argentina career on Tuesday with a farewell friendly against Benin that marks the dawn of a new era for the South American champions.

After more than two decades of service to his country, the 39-year-old superstar will hand over the captain’s armband for good as he makes his final appearance in the Albiceleste jersey at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.

Messi will be joined for his international swansong by 85,000 spectators and several of the teammates with whom he reached the pinnacle of football at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, alongside members of Argentina’s emerging generation.

The friendly marks a symbolic passing of the torch for a player whose international legacy includes a World Cup title, two Copa America crowns and the Finalissima.

Messi also bows out as Argentina’s record appearance-maker and leading scorer, with 125 goals in 207 games, as well as a record 68 assists.

His farewell comes two and a half months after Argentina’s ill-tempered World Cup final defeat to Spain in New Jersey, where Messi exited in tears after making little impression.

‘I gave it my all; I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are great young players coming up who deserve their chance,’ Messi wrote when announcing his international retirement in August.

Messi remains under contract with Inter Miami until 2028, although following the death of his father, Jorge, two months ago, he revealed he may hang up his boots for good sooner than anticipated.

Friends reunited

Members of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning squad – the players who delivered the country’s third star – and their families will join Messi for Tuesday’s farewell against Benin, ranked 93rd in the world.

Veterans of that Doha triumph such as Angel Di María, who retired from international football in 2024, will be there to witness the passing of the torch to a new generation charged with extending the Albiceleste’s golden era.

Several of the newcomers, including Franco Mastantuono and Leonel Flores, were not even born when ‘La Pulga’ (‘The Flea’) made his Argentina debut in 2005 for a team whose history had for so long been dominated by Diego Maradona.

‘It’s going to be an unforgettable day for everyone. Everyone wants to be at this match, and now it’s just about enjoying it,’ Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said.

Argentina’s new generation has already shown what it can do without its captain, although nobody is pretending that replacing a man regarded by many as the greatest footballer in history will be straightforward.

‘Collectively, we will try to fill the void left by Leo,’ said Scaloni, who is negotiating a contract extension after leaving his future unresolved following the World Cup defeat in July.

Scaloni, who mastered the art of building the right supporting cast around Messi, will also say goodbye on Tuesday to 38-year-old vice-captain Nicolas Otamendi.

Like Messi and Otamendi, midfielders Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso were called up solely for the Benin game, raising the possibility that neither will represent Argentina again.

New generation

Those certain to be involved, at least from the bench, include other veterans of the 2022 World Cup who will be the standard-bearers for Argentina after Messi: defender Cristian Romero, midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernandez, and forwards Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez.

Tenacious centre-back Romero is set to inherit the captain’s armband, first worn by Messi at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and Lautaro Martinez are next in the captaincy hierarchy.

They have already begun to rally around Messi’s heirs, who showed their appetite for success in Argentina’s first game since the World Cup final, against Bolivia in Cordoba on Wednesday.

Argentina swept the Bolivians aside 4-0, with young talents Nico Paz and Jose Manuel Lopez among the scorers.

They followed that victory with a 7-0 rout of Burkina Faso at the Monumental on Saturday, with Mastantuono and Gianluca Prestianni scoring their first international goals.

While Argentina’s future is beginning to take shape, one small but symbolically significant question remains: who inherits Messi’s number 10 shirt?

The Supreme Court (SC) has overturned a Court of Appeals ruling and reinstated the warrant of arrest against Bernand Lu Chong in connection with the 2019 seizure of P1.877 billion worth of illegal drugs.

In a decision made public Monday, the SC’s 2nd Division granted the petition filed by the Office of the Solicitor General on behalf of government prosecutors, challenging a Court of Appeals ruling that cited grave abuse of discretion on the part of the Manila court that issued the arrest order.

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‘We find that the Court of Appeals erred in finding that the Regional Trial Court (RTC) committed grave abuse of discretion in finding probable cause for respondent’s arrest,’ the SC, through Associate Justice Jhosep Lopez, said.

The SC remanded the case to Branch 53 of the Manila RTC for further proceedings, ordering the court to resolve it ‘with utmost dispatch.’

‘The case is ordered remanded to Branch 53, Regional Trial Court of Manila for further proceedings, and to resolve the case with utmost dispatch,’ the SC said.

The case stemmed from a March 22, 2019 joint operation by government authorities at the Manila International Container Port, which led to the seizure of 276,344.82 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride, commonly known as shabu. The contraband was hidden in plastic resin sacks stored inside a 40-foot container that originated from Vietnam.

Investigations revealed that Fortuneyield Cargo Services Corporation was listed as the declared consignee on the bill of lading. While Chong claimed he had already assigned his corporate shares and resigned as president of Fortuneyield before the shipment, prosecution records showed that a Client Profile Registration Form submitted to the Bureau of Customs listed Chong as the general manager responsible for the company’s overall operations.

In its ruling, the SC said the trial court was justified in relying on the prosecution’s public records. It explained that under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, corporate officers can be held liable, noting that ‘it would be absurd to indict Fortuneyield’s operations officer without considering the probable participation of his superior who was in charge of the company’s overall operation.’

Addressing the preliminary nature of the proceedings, the Court noted: ‘It should be emphasized that before issuing warrants of arrest, judges merely determine personally the probability, not the certainty, of guilt of an accused.’

It added that ‘it is not necessary to prove, at this point, that respondent is indeed guilty of the crime charged,’ explaining that questions regarding Chong’s degree of involvement ‘are evidentiary in nature and are matters of defense that may be best passed in a full-blown trial on the merits.’

Meanwhile, Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen said the sheer scale of the drug haul required coordinated efforts rather than an individual actor.

‘When a judge issues a warrant of arrest following the seizure of a considerable quantity of dangerous drugs, such determination should not be lightly disturbed absent a clear showing of grave abuse of discretion,’ Leonen said.

He added that justice should be balanced between the accused and the State.

‘The rights of the accused under the Bill of Rights remain fully protected. They may still be acquitted should the prosecution fail to establish their guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Their arrest does not imply their guilt. Rather, it signifies that the judicial process continues to operate and that the proper administration of justice prevails,’ he said.

Do young people know what a volcanic eruption is? Can they imagine the destructive force of lahar? Beyond the altered landscapes, what other tragedies did communities endure from a disaster whose effects are still felt today?

Answers to these and other questions about the June 15, 1991, eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, the years of lahar flows and the disaster that followed are now just a few taps away.

Young people can access this information through the Pinatubo Kiosk, an interactive digital booth that is the newest feature of the Center for Kapampangan Studies (CKS) Pinatubo Museum in this city.

Preserving history

‘The Pinatubo Kiosk preserves the history of the eruption and the disaster. It also serves as a bridge to the youth so they can prepare for a similar disaster,’ said Myra Lopez, associate director of CKS at the Holy Angel University (HAU), in an interview.

Six fourth-year information technology students from HAU’s School of Computing developed the kiosk. They are Luis Gabriel Aquino, Justin Cabe, Sebastian Canlas, Friench Lonie Kylevine Ocampo, Marius Kevin Galang and James Carl Mananquil, who are between 20 and 24 years old.

Cabe shared the team spent three months developing the digital kiosk, which features videos, photographs, interviews, a chatbot and ‘Laharaya,’ an interactive game.

Lopez said the kiosk is housed at the museum, which CKS opened in 2016 to mark the 25th anniversary of the Pinatubo eruption. It was launched on Oct. 2, following the 31st anniversary of the Oct. 1, 1995, Cabalantian Tragedy, when lahar buried large portions of Bacolor, the former capital of Pampanga.

During the launch, poet laureate Alvin Ignacio, also known as Bertong Isponga, and journalist Cecile Yumul shared their eyewitness accounts of the disaster.

The Pinatubo Museum became more interactive in 2022 with the addition of augmented reality features to photographs in its timeline. It also houses the large mural ‘Lumud’ (Drowned) by Arnel Garcia, the art installation ‘Ing Ablas nang Apung Namalyari’ (The Revenge of Apung Namalyari) by Don Reich de Dios and various artifacts related to the eruption and its aftermath.

Maritess David-Cabe said she was proud that her son Justin was among the kiosk developers. She was 11 years old when Mt. Pinatubo erupted, and said the project helped her son better understand what she experienced.

Bea Yumul, a Grade 9 student, noted the kiosk helped her grasp the ordeal endured by her parents and grandparents.

The decline in government spending on infrastructure eased in July, falling 4 percent to P89.6 billion from P93.3 billion a year earlier.

Still, the broader picture remains weak. From January to July, infrastructure spending totaled P457 billion, down 36 percent from P713.5 billion during the same period in 2025.

To many Filipinos, these numbers may seem distant from everyday life. But infrastructure spending does more than build roads, ports, and transportation systems. It supports jobs and businesses, while completed projects can make it cheaper and easier for people and goods to move around the country. What caused government infra spending to dip?

One factor behind the slowdown has been tighter scrutiny of infrastructure spending, including the review and validation of payment claims and contractor documents following corruption concerns involving public works projects.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has stressed that accelerating infrastructure projects should not mean relaxing stricter safeguards meant to protect public funds. However, additional checks have also contributed to slower payments and project implementation, particularly at the Department of Public Works and Highways.

The challenge is to reduce avoidable delays while maintaining stronger scrutiny and accountability.

How do delays in infrastructure projects affect businesses?

Construction companies, contractors, and suppliers are among those most directly affected when public projects or payments are delayed. But the effects can extend well beyond construction.

A new road, for example, can shorten travel times and lower the cost of transporting goods. Railways and other transportation projects can make it easier for workers to reach jobs and for businesses to reach customers and suppliers.

When projects face delays, businesses incur higher logistics costs for an extended period, while contractors and suppliers receive fewer orders or experience delayed payments.

Economists from the University of Asia and the Pacific have also said that faster infrastructure spending could support construction activity, job creation, and broader domestic demand.

How do these delays affect us?

The impact can eventually reach households.

ANZ Research has linked weaker public infrastructure spending to lower household confidence and more cautious corporate investment plans. Slower construction activity can mean fewer opportunities for workers and businesses tied to these projects, while uncertainty may make companies more hesitant to expand or invest.

That can weaken investment and economic activity, ultimately limiting job and business opportunities.

What is the solution?

While slower infrastructure spending can hurt the economy, simply loosening government controls is not the answer.

Stricter reviews help ensure taxpayers’ money goes to legitimate projects instead of being lost through waste, fraud, or corruption. The challenge is therefore not choosing between fast spending and clean spending but finding a way to achieve both.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) identified the sharp fall in public construction investment following stricter infrastructure reviews as one of the headwinds facing the Philippine economy in 2026. At the same time, it recommended streamlining procurement, project appraisal, and project selection to help the government carry out planned capital spending more effectively.

Doing so could allow legitimate projects to move faster without sacrificing safeguards meant to protect public funds.

Bohol Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado on Monday, Oct. 5, ordered the police to swiftly identify and arrest the suspects who robbed two Chinese tourists at a popular tourist spot in Loay town.

Aumentado directed Bohol Provincial Police Office director Col. Patricio Degay Jr. to immediately investigate the robbery and ensure the suspects are brought to justice.

The governor stressed the need to protect the safety and security of visitors to Bohol, particularly tourists exploring the province’s various destinations.

‘No visitor should be abused or fall victim to criminality while visiting Bohol,’ Aumentado said.

The incident happened at 5:56 p.m. on Oct. 3 at Morning Hills in Barangay Botoc Occidental, Loay, where the two tourists had been taking photographs for about 20 minutes before preparing to leave.

Police said a man armed with a knife suddenly approached the 23-year-old victim and demanded his backpack. When the tourist resisted, the suspect forcibly took the yellow backpack and fled toward a grassy area, where another man was waiting.

The victims tried to chase the suspects but failed to catch them.

Police said the stolen items included a DJI Pocket 3 camera, four bank cards, P9,000 in cash and the passport of one of the tourists.

The victims, both college graduates aged 23 and 24, were temporarily staying at a resort in Alona, Panglao.

They described the first suspect as a man in his 20s, about 5 feet 2 inches tall, thin, brown-skinned and with short, curly hair. The second suspect was described as being in his 30s, medium-built and with short, straight hair.

The Loay Municipal Police Station is continuing its investigation, while the BPPO has launched a manhunt for the suspects.

Meanwhile, the Barangay Council of Botoc Occidental temporarily closed Morning Hills to the public starting Oct. 5 to allow safety and security upgrades following the robbery.

The barangay said it was coordinating with local authorities to strengthen security measures and ensure the safety of visitors.

Aumentado also called on local government units with tourist destinations to intensify monitoring and security in areas frequently visited by tourists to prevent similar incidents.

GCash parent Mynt Inc. plans to channel P5.7 billion from its upcoming initial public offering (IPO) into lending, as CreditTech contributes a growing share of the financial technology group’s revenue.

CreditTech is Mynt’s digital lending business segment.

The fintech’s final prospectus earmarked P5.65 billion, or 60 percent of estimated net primary proceeds of P9.42 billion, for CreditTech expansion.

The funds will support growth in its on-book loan portfolio from 2027 to 2029, supplementing available cash and credit lines from local and international financial institutions.

CreditTech revenue jumped 38.8 percent to P17.98 billion in the first half of 2026. It accounted for 41.8 percent of Mynt’s adjusted revenue, up from 33 percent a year earlier.

Loan disbursements rose 33.2 percent to P91.1 billion during the period. The total loan portfolio reached P70.5 billion at end-June, up 33.5 percent.

On-book loans, which remain on the company’s balance sheet, accounted for 88.9 percent of the portfolio.

Mynt had 7.5 million active borrowers at end-June, equivalent to 18.1 percent of monthly active users.

The company also plans to expand lending to nano, micro, small and medium enterprises. Its GLoan Negosyo product offers eligible merchants loans of up to P2 million.

Provision for credit losses increased 29.6 percent to P7.93 billion in the first half, reflecting growth in on-book loans.

Still, the nonperforming loan ratio improved to 4.9 percent at end-June from 7.5 percent at end-2025.

Beyond lending, Mynt allocated P1.88 billion for product development from 2027 to 2029, including new business products, cross-border services and investments in technology, data and artificial intelligence.

Another P1.88 billion will fund general corporate purposes from 2027 to 2031, including operations and sales and marketing.

At P6.60 per share, the IPO’s base offer will raise about P53 billion. This could reach P60.9 billion if the overallotment option is fully exercised.

Mynt will receive proceeds only from primary shares. Proceeds from secondary shares will go to selling shareholders.

AB Capital Securities Inc. said P36.5 billion in cornerstone commitments covered about 69 percent of the base offer, ‘providing a substantial demand anchor.’

The brokerage warned that the remaining offer could add pressure to market liquidity amid foreign outflows and weak sentiment, although broader economic factors remained the main headwind.

Still, AB Capital said Mynt would bring ‘a new growth engine to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE),’ offering investors exposure to one of the country’s largest digital platforms and the expansion of financial technology.

The share of bad loans on Philippine banks’ books held steady in August, as soured consumer loans stabilized despite a difficult environment for both lenders and borrowers.

Latest data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed nonperforming loans (NPLs), or debts that remain unpaid 90 days past the due date and at risk of default, accounted for 3.35 percent of lenders’ total loan portfolio.

That figure, also known as the gross NPL ratio, was unchanged from the June result.

In peso terms, P596 billion of the local banking industry’s P17.8-trillion loan book turned sour in August. That amount of NPLs was 8.4-percent higher than a year earlier.

Banks also maintained a sizable buffer against potential losses. They had set aside nearly P555.6 billion in provisions for credit losses, leaving the industry with a NPL coverage ratio of 93.17 percent, also unchanged from the previous month.

Within consumer lending, the NPL ratio was steady at 5.41 percent. The ratio for credit card receivables rose to 5.44 percent from 5.33 percent, while that for motor vehicle loans increased to 5.62 percent from 5.51 percent. The ratio for salary-based loans, by contrast, fell to 5.01 percent from 5.30 percent.

Tight conditions

The NPL ratio for business loans edged up to 3.30 percent, its highest level in three months.

The figures come as the central bank keeps monetary policy relatively tight to contain inflation. The BSP has raised its benchmark interest rate to 5 percent and has signaled that it will tighten policy further if needed to bring inflation back to its target.

Ruben Carlo Asuncion, chief economist at UnionBank of the Philippines, said the stable NPL ratio suggested that banks’ asset quality remained broadly intact despite a challenging operating environment.

For now, he said, bad loans were likely to remain manageable, supported by banks’ strong capital and provisioning buffers.

‘However, the outlook warrants caution as persistent inflation, the possibility of higher-for-longer interest rates, and signs of moderating economic activity could weigh on borrowers’ repayment capacity and lead to some deterioration in asset quality,’ he said.

Lead defense counsel Sheila Sison on Monday hit back at the prosecution panel for calling the defense ‘delatory’ after her camp sought an hour-long break during Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.

Nearly eight hours into the trial, defense lawyer Mark Vinluan asked for an hour to prepare his next set of questions for the cross-examination of Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Secretariat Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura.

Private prosecutor Mae Divinagracia criticized the request as ‘delatory.’

Shortly after, Sison took the stand in defense of Vinluan.

‘When Atty. Vinluan asked for time to organize his notes so that he may intelligently examine this witness, and the prosecution insinuates that this is delatory, that’s not true, Your Honor,’ Sison said.

‘I don’t think there’s any doubt here that the prosecution took the entire day direct examining this witness. We have only examined this witness for an hour. We’re not asking for a long time,’ she added.

Sison also explained that the defense had only had the documents for a few days after they were resubmitted over the weekend.

‘We’re only asking for a fair and meaningful opportunity to examine on behalf of this respondent this witness. Because the prosecution took the entire day direct examining this witness. We cannot be rushed in cross-examining this witness,’ she added.

Divinagracia explained her remark, saying Vinluan had earlier made remarks about ‘calling it a day.’

She also criticized that the two camps were provided with the witness’ documents on the same day.

‘The time that they were given to review the documents is the exact same time that we were given… Just like the defense, the prosecution also received the summary from the AMLC on the same day. And yet, your honor, we took the pains of going over it over the weekend to prepare for today’s hearing,’ Divinagracia pointed out.

An ambush of a military convoy in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan, on Monday morning wounded four more soldiers from the 45th Infantry Battalion, as well as a member of the Civilian Armed Auxiliary (CAA), raising the number of injured to 11.

Joint Task Force Orion reported that troops from the 45th Infantry Battalion (45IB) were traversing the road in Barangay Badja at around 7:45 a.m. when the assailants opened fire on their vehicles.

Earlier this morning, authorities reported that only six soldiers were wounded in the ambush.

Brig. Gen. Frederick Sales, commander of the 1101st Infantry ‘Gagandilan’ Brigade, told the Inquirer that Lt. Col. Franco Baylon, 45IB commanding officer, led the convoy.

The group-comprising three KM450 military trucks and three civilian vehicles-was en route from Tipo-Tipo to the 1101st Brigade headquarters in Barangay Tabiawan, Isabela City, via Lamitan City when they were attacked at Sitio Bauno Dagao in Barangay Badja.

Of the wounded, three were reported in critical condition.

The wounded personnel were initially brought to a medical facility in neighboring Lamitan City for immediate care.

By 9 a.m., military authorities dispatched a Black Hawk helicopter to airlift the three critical patients to Camp Navarro General Hospital in Zamboanga City for further treatment.

A female third-year college student at the Biliran Province State University (BiPSU) in Naval was brought to the school’s guidance office on Monday after allegedly threatening to shoot one of her teachers, prompting a quick response from school officials and police.

The incident, reported around 10 a.m., was contained without anyone being hurt, according to BiPSU president Victor Cañezo.

Cañezo said the student allegedly sent a text message to one of her classmates threatening a teacher whom she reportedly described as ‘bad.’

The classmate then informed school authorities, leading officials to identify and immediately bring the student to the guidance office.

‘This is an isolated case. The (concerned) student is now with our guidance office,’ Cañezo said in a public message, adding that the student’s act was because of a ‘personal grudge’ against the teacher.

He assured students, faculty members, and the public that the situation was under control as classes were not generally disrupted.

Cañezo also clarified that no firearm was found in the student’s possession following the incident.

He thanked the local police for their immediate response, saying their prompt action helped ensure the safety of the university community.

However, Cañezo said the investigation was still ongoing and that he could not provide additional details while authorities were looking into the circumstances surrounding the reported threat.

The incident came amid heightened concern over threats and acts of violence in schools in the country, particularly following a series of incidents involving minors.

In Tacloban City, three students were killed, and 20 others were injured in a shooting at San Jose National High School on June 22. The incident involved minors aged 14 and 15.

The shooting prompted renewed calls for schools, parents, local governments and law enforcement agencies to strengthen security measures and address threats of violence involving young people.

Another school-related firearm incident was reported in Catarman, Northern Samar, on Oct. 1, when a 15-year-old Grade 10 student was found allegedly carrying a high-powered firearm inside a school with more than 5,000 students.

Unlike those incidents, however, Cañezo said no firearm was found in the possession of the BiPSU student involved in Monday’s reported threat.

The latest incident was the second reported threat to hit BiPSU in less than a month.

On Sept. 22, authorities found a threat letter inside the BiPSU Student Center, prompting an investigation.

University officials have not disclosed whether the latest incident was connected to the earlier threat.